Over two years in development and two million lines of code, this highly anticipated game is one that those who have been able to preview the game, say has been well worth the wait. With so many dissapointments (*cough*Oni*cough*) in "highly anticipated" games it's nice to see one that appears will live up to the hype.
The Lowdown
In Black & White you take on the role of a diety on the planet of Eden. On this world you must attract worshippers, defeat rival gods and complete complex quests to expand your power base. But you are not alone in this duty. Playing a major role are the Titans. Your avatars on the planet of Eden. These mighty creatures each take an animal form, but their final appearance will be heavily weighed on how you train them.
In raising your titan, and even in solving each quest there are a vast number of ways to accomplish your goal, following the paths of good or evil (or even somewhere in between). A titan nurtured will take on a benevolent appearance, a titan treated harshly will become a monstrous parody of its original form. Indeed all aspect of your land will be reflected by your attitude. If you are benevolent, your people will enjoy verdant pastures and fruit bearing trees. If you are malevolent your landscape will become bleak and filled with fissures and blast marks left behind from the smiting of insolent followers.
The graphics engine has been built from the ground up, and is one of the most complex used in a game to date (early 2001). The interface is minimalistic; in fact, one of the design concepts is that of "no interface," in which the mouse is your only tool, represented on screen by a godly hand (looking human if you are benevolent, but transforming into a haggard claw if you turn to evil). To enter new control "modes" you trace shapes with the mouse. When rearing a titan you use different "leashes" (learning, compassion and aggression) to enter the leash mode you would first make the "leash" symbol, then follow that with the "learning" symbol to enter into the learning leash mode. Also this game was designed to transcend genre stereotypes, it is part strategy, part Sim and part RPG. All in all a promising entry into the arena of computer games.